Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo has backed Taiwo Awoniyi despite his missed penalty in their EFL Cup defeat to Newcastle United on Wednesday, Soccernet.ng reports.
Awoniyi has struggled with fitness since joining Nottingham Forest from Union Berlin two seasons ago.
The 27-year-old striker arrived with a big reputation after impressing at Union Berlin, but injuries have been his danger. His continued struggles have seen England striker Chris Wood take over his place as the first goalscorer at Nottingham Forest.
Awoniyi started from the bench in Nottingham Forest’s first two Premier League games of the season, but made his first start when they hosted Newcastle in the EFL Cup on Wednesday.
However, the Super Eagles star failed to find the back of the net in regular time. Unfortunately for him, he also missed Nottingham Forest’s final penalty in the shootout, which cost Tricky Trees the match.
Nevertheless, Espirito Santo was quite understanding in his analysis of the game. He stated that he let Awoniyi play the entire match to get fit for the match.